Quotes

What a great presentation! I feel like a historic moment in NOLA’s evolutionary history is happening. The spirit of optimism and support around Reinventing the Crescent is amazing to hear and to feel. Please let me offer my sincere thanks to you and your team for vision, guts and stamina. Your leadership has made the difference. As a citizen, I am proud to be part of this great adventure.

I am very impressed with the proposed linear park. I mentioned it to a friend of mine and we cannot wait to spend lazy afternoons enjoying the space.

As a relative newcomer to New Orleans and Bywater, I have to express my appreciation for Reinventing the Crescent. I regularly lament the lack of access to one of the world’s great rivers. I so very much look forward to this wonderful addition to New Orleans culture. Please remember that while some people voice displeasure, there are many, many more who want this project to happen. Bravo!

As an entrepreneur, it has been my experience that the bigger the deal and the more revolutionary the concept, the longer the cycle to close. I guess this is a great example of that reality. Still, reading this article brings much excitement. Every time I hear any buzz on this project I get eager. Dreaming of its completion, I start singing in my head ‘Take me to the river…. drop me in the water.’

I am so very impressed with the professionals you all have chosen. The video is spectacular. This is the first new vision since the Warehouse District and the freshest concept that I can remember. You all rock!

You’ve really made amazing progress – herculean I’d say. Even in cities on good footing and with pro-development attitudes things don’t move this fast or productively.

Let us know if there is anything we can do to help the project. having Reinventing the Crescent go throughmeans a lot to us, and we would certainly be willing to lend a hand.The potential development of the Riverfront is part of the reason we chose to move to the Poland Avenue area of the Bywater two years ago. Thanks!

Think about what the argument against such a revitalization plan is … we will lose our local ‘flavuh.’ Well, guess what folks? That is an old tired argument, one that has been hollered from the galleries and balconies for generations. The Creoles hated that the Americans came in, the Americans were convinced the European immigrants would ruin the city, it goes on … and in spite of New Orleans ‘losing it’s character’ over and over again, it remains the most intriguing, seductive, mysterious and beautiful city in the country.

Best of luck on the project!.

As a Bywater resident for almost five years, I’ve been looking forward to this since I first purchased my house… I spend an hour reviewing your website. This will be a huge progress for the city. Let the development begin… the sooner the better. Good luck!

I couldn’t be more impressed with that you have done thus far with the riverfront project. Everything from the website to th emaster plan looks absolutely great! It’s going to be wonderful.

…Making progress and changes in New Orleans remains very, very difficult. But if some leaders are not willing to go through all the pain and aggravation, nothing will get better here … Keep going! The vision of “Reinventing the Crescent” that you have helped to create is too important and beneficial to let it get derailed.

I was just in Los Angeles for the weekend and one of my braglines is the Riverfront Development project among other things with respect to a better New Orleans. Our alumns seemed very receptive.

I hope the planning process and product has gone well and that you are able to make a profound difference in the future of the city. It may seem to you that America has forgotten aboutNew Orleans, but Americans have not.

It was a tough act to evoke bold future visions that respected neighborhood concerns and provincial biases. Of course you can’t please everyone all the time, but you tackled the issues deftly … John [Dr. McLachlan] and I were particularly impressed with how well Enrique [Norten] articulated the Tulane’s ‘avant-guard’ role in stimulating knowledge and economic/cultural revitalization via RiverSphere.

Sitting beachside at a gorgeous restaurant in Barcelona, I see before my eyes the potential for NOLA. Let’s do it!

In our quest to rebuild New Orleans Post Katrina, New Orleanians must find a unique balance. It is our obligation to preserve the historic while at the same time embrace new developments. The riverfront development plan gives New Orleans a chance to send a strong message to the world that the rebirth of our great city has begun just as it did almost 300 years ago on the shores of the mighty Mississippi.

The Mississippi River lives up to its legend. It has a character unlike any other river I’ve been to. This development gives us the chance to reconnect New Orleans to its riverfront and use design to symbolize the city’s unique capacity to reinvent itself.

I think this is the most exciting project the city has seen in decades, maybe in its history.

Great work. I am very pleased, as this initiative will transform this city and impact the future for the next 50 to 100 years.

I so enjoyed seeing the full presentation… It is visionary and the result of countless hours of community engagement and top-notch design. I am inspired by the limitless possibilities for our riverfront and find great joy in the belief that my children will soon have the opportunity to enjoy the Mississippi on a daily basis.

…I understand that there are several people – very vocal – who are against the development of the riverfront. What I see is an long term project, being proposed by a native son, currently in residence, who is young enough to see the goal of this undertaking to it’s completion. A project that will bring tax revenue into a city that is going broke. Might even induce some of our grads to stick around and rebuild a waning middle class. Could bring more flights into the airport, because where there are cruise ships, there are airplanes. Get some cash for a decent education system. This list continues.

You have given us something to hope for, which is hard to come by in this city. Cheers!

I attended the meeting Wednesday night and man – was it impressive! I hope that you guys get on over to the Jackson Avenue part of the project soon.

I have been reading a lot of press lately, and I think what you’re doing on the riverfront for New Orleans is great …Keep up the good work.

Nice to know that folks are out there making good things happen…

I took a look at the plan … It is stunning! If New Orleans does not have the vision to bring this plan to fruition, then there is no hope for us…

This ‘Reinventing the Crescent’ plan is the only thing that makes me feel better about the future of New Orleans. Amazing!! Hope Mr. Cummings and his team can pull it off. Everbody should start investing on the riverfront.

The riverfront is the cornerstone to the renaissance of our city.

Really unbelievable undertaking… I don’t know how you all did it, but I certainly appreciate this plan and can’t wait to wander it.

Read the House and Garden article about…the Riverfront. I think you all are getting more National attention than local attention for being visionary. Good luck getting this project completed. Impressive work.

This Riverfront plan puts forth a vision with specific, brilliant elements that awake the mind – and the soul – to the potential of this unique city to be the epicenter of so much ‘green’ inspiration and innovation. Once again, New Orleans can lead the way, not just in terms of culture, music, and food but with driving our nation and world toward more sustainable, holistic communities, economy and future together. ‘Reinventing the Crescent’ is a huge catalyst for this city and our work at the Holy Cross riverfront.

I think the riverfront project is a huge step in the right direction for NO. I don’t know what’s been printed anywhere else, but the stuff I’ve been reading/seeing has really been about positive changes in NO despite the lack of support from the governing bodies. Great piece in the LA Times. We support you all from the ‘best coast!’

…You’ve got my personal support on this one. I’ve watched the Embarcadero, East London, the Brooklyn waterfront: This is real economic development. Very exciting!

I strongly support the Riverfront Development and commend the initiative of all those involved in this most important project.

As Director of the 45th New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon I certainly wish you the best of luck with this great project. Our course covers 26 miles of the city and one day I see the potential of taking full advantage of this green space. Last year we had all 50 states and 14 countries represented. Thanks for your efforts!

I checked out the riverfront video, and it is quite impressive. More people should be aware of it. You guys have done a great job. I hope people recognize and appreciate what you all have done. I certainly do.

We appreciate your efforts and think you are doing a great job so far. Some will always be critics. I wonder if they are in favor of indoor plumbing and electrification, both rather modern changes not true to the “original spirit” of thoseareas. :-)

The Reinventing the Crescent project presents an incredible opportunity to open the waterfront to the public and to commerce. It will finally attract both locals and tourists to the river, one of the city’s most important but under-utilized natural assets, infusing local spending and taxes into the economy. Redeveloping the riverfront WILL be an economic development catalyst for the city. This is an exciting example of urban innovation which respects the history of the city and it comes just at the right time to kick start a local renaissance.

Fabulous presentation today… Congratulations on an amazing vision. The team did such a fine job articulating the goals and the benefits. Which are lofty indeed. Huzzah… Really well done, again.

As a member of the UNOP planning team, I am pretty aware of the present issues and future potential of the New Orleans riverfront. It looks like the project team has crafted an exciting design. I have only a couple of comments and suggestions to make:
1) We should avoid walling off portions of the riverfront as the Convention Center has done.
2) Where possible, these perpendicular connections should be at surface level and not by means of pedestrian bridges.
3) I love the idea of creating green space “modules” along the River. The revitalized riverfront should feel like a series of landscape “rooms” rather than a single landscape program.
4) Depending on the measures that the city undertakes, future development along this area could either look like Sydney or the Saulet Apartments. Clearly, we need more of the former and less of the latter; but to effect this outcome…

You have clearly done a great job so far, and I would be happy to participate more extensively in this process if you are interested in my input.

I write is to offer support for your ideas and the entire riverfront development. I feel that the vocal minority that shows up to kill deals is not supported by the community they claim to represent. Especially since Katrina, people are less closed-minded about new ideas if they believe that they will trigger progress – i.e. height versus green space etc – people will learn that they can still be preservationists and accept change – by learning more about the riverfront plans and public benefit and how it can shape our future here. Keep up the fight.

The final plan looks great! We appreciate the creativity, and all the hard work.

I have been a Bywater resident for over 30 years. I was always surprised that one of the best vantage points for a view of the River is right in Bywater, yet it seemed to be ignored as a place to enjoy. Even then, commerce on the River was slowing down, and luckily for the neighborhood, a lot of industrial use buildings went to artists and have regained a new life and helped create the ‘artsy’ and bohemian nature of Bywater. People used to settle for Bywater because it was affordable, now they choose it because it is an interesting place to live. The area is called Bywater because it is obviously By the Water, yet we have never taken advantage of that proximity. We also have a shortage of green space compared to the density of the area. I support and am very excited about access to the River and amore useable green space. I support the riverfront development plan.

As a Bywater resident, you all have my support. The presentation you showed was excellent. I did notice my modern Arc Triumph (to mark our 300th birthday) at Elysian and Esplanade was missing, just an oversight I’m sure.

Thanks for the beautiful and thorough presentation. Most of my neighbors, as well as myself, are 110% behind all aspects of the project. As I’m sure you know, there are a few neighbors who are in need of psychiatric treatment and will vehemently protest anything and everything that means change. The majority of Bywater supports the riverfront development.

Keep up the effort to implement your ideas on the riverfront. I fully support the riverfront Plan.

As we move into the 21st Century, New Orleans is shifting from a resource-based economy towards an economy driven by entrepreneurs and artisans. Our riverfront development will emerge as a model of 21st Century design excellence and serve as a beacon for New Orleans’ transformation into America’s boutique city.

New Orleans is in the quality of life business, and creative design can help accentuate that quality of life. Reinventing the Crescent creates a city-wide “front yard,” which encourages civic activity and cultivates community energy.

Reinventing the Crescent is the most important physical addition to New Orleans since the French Quarter and the most powerful economic development tool we can invest in. We are focusing on areas where the city has a competitive advantage – tourism, entertainment, culture, and community.

I truly believe that this riverfront redevelpment may be the single most important impact on the health of our City. It will help change not only the experience of visitors, but will continue to create a sense of hopefulness for the citizens. Crime has been such an issue … and raising hopefulness, I believe, will bring the crime rate down. It is like opening the ‘bowl’ into the flowing energy of the mighty Mississippi creating movement of energy that has been held stagant for decades.

This is going to redefine our city for the next 100 years.

Sean: I saw the article in USA Today. What you are trying to do for New Orleans is great. Make it happen.

Spectacular … Congratulations and good luck!